One of our very favorite freelance contractors illustrated another hilarious and incisive commentary on one of the pitfalls of being a contractor. There are so many outside factors acting on your quality of life, even if you are “free”-lance. Do you work with umbrella companies? What if the umbrella companies are evil? What if they exploit your social capital until you end up devouring all of your friends?

When you work from home, run your own business, are a solopreneur, freelancer or any other independently acting entity, you alone bear the responsibility for the decision making process and the consequences of that decision. This is incredible and also terrifying. There are no checks and balances in place, but there are also no limits to your creativity, potential and payoff. Plus nobody tells you when you have to get to work in the morning.

Social Capital is becoming more and more valuable in the “Social Media Era”. AS a freelancer or small business owner that line between personal and professional networks can be even more blurred. If you work inside your home there’s not even a clear distinction between personal and professional space in your physical world.

Our advice for every contractor: Make sure you have a solid independent contractor agreement, try to achieve some work/life balance and know when you’re turning into a giant scary robot and crushing all your leveraged contacts to death!